This week on The Hometown Holler, the fellas sit down with Governor Josh Stein to break down what’s happening inside the General Assembly, why billions of dollars are on the line, and how decisions being made right now could shape the future of our state. We get into it all, from teacher pay and tax cuts to data centers popping up in folks’ backyards and who’s actually footing the bill. If you’ve been wondering why things feel stuck… or who’s really benefiting… this is the conversation you need to hear.

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In this episode:

Why NC hasn’t passed a real budget in years

Where billions of dollars could go (and who gets left out)

The truth about tax cuts and who actually benefits

Data centers, energy costs, and what’s coming next

Rural NC, jobs, and what growth should actually look like

What it’s like being Governor in this moment

What happens when the President wakes up and starts firing off tweets that sound more like warnings than leadership?This week on The Hometown Holler, we sit down with North Carolina Congresswoman Deborah Ross to break down Donald Trump’s latest unhinged social media posts, what’s actually happening behind the scenes in Washington, and how members of Congress respond in real time when things feel like they’re spiraling.We also talk about the Epstein files, what she is actually seeing behind closed doors, and why accountability still feels out of reach for a lot of Americans. On top of that, we dive into Hurricane Helene recovery in Western North Carolina, FEMA delays, and why communities are still waiting on help they were promised.And maybe most importantly, we ask the question a lot of folks are feeling right now: what can regular people actually do when all of this feels out of control?Subscribe to The Hometown Holler for real conversations about North Carolina politics, U.S. government, breaking news, and the stories shaping our state.Patreon: / thehometownholler Buy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/

After 12 years in the North Carolina General Assembly, former NC Senator Graig Meyer sits down with The Hometown Holler to share why he’s stepping away and what’s actually happening inside NC politics.He talks about the “internal politics and pettiness” that pushed him to leave, what it’s like working inside a superminority, and why so many good ideas never see the light of day.

From the lack of transparency, to the reality of how power actually moves in Raleigh, Graig pulls back the curtain in a way you don’t usually hear.We also get into corruption, why lawmakers stay quiet, what it takes to get real legislation passed (like Medicaid expansion), and why Graig believes the next chapter of his work, outside elected office, might have an even bigger impact on people’s lives. This is what we do at The Holler - real conversations, plain language, and a porch big enough for all of North Carolina.

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In 2016, Pat McCrory ran for reelection as North Carolina’s governor on the same ticket as Donald Trump. Trump carried the state, but McCrory lost by just over 10,000 votes out of more than 4.5 million cast.

In the decade since, McCrory has watched the Republican Party move in a direction he no longer fully recognizes.

This week, he sat down with the Holler to discuss January 6th, HB2 (the so-called “Bathroom Bill”), what Republicans are saying privately that they won’t say in public, and whether honest disagreement still has a place in American politics.

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Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt joins the Holler to discuss her career as a working musician, the process of writing songs, and how streaming and AI are reshaping the future of music.She breaks down what artists actually earn from streaming, why it can take millions of plays to break even on a record, and how the shift from CDs to digital platforms like Spotify changed the business. She also talks about AI-generated music and what it means for ownership, credit, and compensation.Tift also discusses her work in policy and advocacy, including efforts to give musicians a seat at the table, and why she sees what is happening in music as a warning for other industries.Join the Holler and help us build a better North Carolina, one conversation at a time: https://www.patreon.com/TheHometownHollerBuy us a coffee: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/

New York Times bestselling novelist Wiley Cash joins the Holler to talk about storytelling, Southern identity, and what it means to be a North Carolina writer. Wiley reflects on growing up in Gastonia around religious family members who spoke in tongues, the small-town dynamics that shaped his novels, and how homesickness while living in Louisiana pushed him to write the book that launched his career. We also get into the craft of writing (including why he thinks “show, don’t tell” is terrible advice), the long tradition of Southern storytelling, and his new venture Flood Plain Books, an independent bookstore opening in Wilmington designed to bring readers, writers, and good conversation together.

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Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers joins the Holler to discuss his new book "America's Founding Son" and how a touring musician ended up writing a sweeping history of John Quincy Adams. Bob recalls studying American history in the back of a tour van and falling down a rabbit hole that led him to one of the most fascinating and overlooked figures in American history.

We talk about why Adams's era feels eerily familiar today (tariffs, populism, conspiracy theories, cultural polarization) and why Bob believes Adams's life is a powerful reminder that public service doesn't end when you leave the highest office in the land.

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Harnessing the mystical power of Diet Sun Drop, we summoned Former NC Governor Roy Cooper to the Holler.Roy opens up about growing up in Nashville, NC (the original Nashville), working summers on the family farm, losing money on pigs and watermelons, and his short-lived career breaking horses.

From blocking Phil Ford's shot in a high school gym to leading NC through hurricanes and COVID, Roy traces the journey that's now leading him to run for the U.S. Senate.We get into Medicaid expansion and how he got Republican sheriffs and county commissioners to bring it across the finish line, the affordability crisis squeezing North Carolina families, what it's really like to go from governor to one of 100 senators, and why he believes North Carolina isn't as divided as the politicians want us to think.

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#RoyCooper #NorthCarolina #HomeTownHoller #NC #Senate #NCPolitics

Representative Rodney Pierce joins the Holler to talk about what it means to represent one of North Carolina’s most overlooked regions. A public school teacher and first-term legislator representing Halifax, Warren, and Northampton counties, Pierce discusses rural population decline, public school funding, bipartisan bills that never got hearings, and what rural voters want from their elected leaders in Raleigh.We talk school vouchers, segregation academies in eastern North Carolina, health disparities, removing a Confederate monument in Halifax County, and what it’s actually like inside the General Assembly. Pierce reflects on faith, service, and the responsibility of representing communities that too often feel left out of the political conversation.It’s a conversation about rural dignity, public education, bipartisan frustration, and who state government is really working for.👉 Join the Holler today and support independent North Carolina storytelling:https://www.thehometownholler.com/

Richard Ojeda swings by the Holler to talk about service, sacrifice, and what real representation looks like in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. A retired Army major and former West Virginia state senator, Ojeda discusses leading troops in combat, surviving political violence, and why he believes members of Congress should put boots on the ground back home.

We talk veterans’ health care, small-dollar fundraising vs. corporate PAC money, raising wages, and his challenge to incumbent Congressman Richard Hudson. It’s a conversation about leadership, accountability, and who government is actually supposed to work for.👉 Join the Holler today and support independent NC storytelling: https://www.thehometownholler.com/